~Which of your characters would you most like to meet and get to know and what book are they from?
~What are you looking forward to in the coming months?
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Thank you Marlene Bierworth
-Share or describe your writing style.
I love to let my characters create themselves as I write – it’s like reading my own book and sharing in their growth as I pen it. I consider character and spiritual advancement to be the core of the story. Add some unexpected plot twists, more action, and page-turning suspense, and you will have read one of my heartwarming romances. Readers have labeled me as a story-teller, with great characters and interesting plots that find solutions in the Lord and happily-ever-after. I see this a wonderful compliment. I prefer writing historical stories but have published contemporary romance as well. I’ve come a long way in developing my style and message with over 100 books under my belt. And there are many more to come. Stay tuned.
~Which of your characters would you most like to meet and get to know and what book are they from?
I would like to visit Last Chance and meet Betsy from the Blizzard Brides series. She is an independent gal, and an engaging pioneer model for women of her day, enduring great trials and heartbreak. When she takes on three adopted daughters early in her marriage she molds them into the strong characters (Esther, Eve and Rebecca) readers have raved about in the Last Chance Brides adventures 15 years later. I fell in love with the whole family and would enjoy sitting down to supper with them.
~What are you looking forward to in the coming months?
I am involved in a huge multi-author boxset collection and it is stretching me to new heights in my craft. Once Upon a Courtship is a Limited-Time Collection of 12 new books from 12 beloved Christian authors spanning rustic landscapes, elegant ballrooms, rugged cowboys, enigmatic spies, and daring pirates! The hearts of readers will delight with Colonial, Regency, Victorian, Western, and Gilded Age Romance. At the very low preorder price of .99 cents, for 12 books, we are hoping sweet romance readers will preorder their copy today and help us make the USA list before October/24! I finished writing my contribution – Clara’s Compassion – and my editors are excited about its release. A mail-order romance in the heart of the Canadian Rocky Mountains as the country seeks to expand the railway from the east to the west. Lots of unrest in the camp, but Clara’s compassion and Graham’s support despite personal losses and diversity of peoples, will rise up to meet the conflicts head on, and build a place called home in the growing town of Cranston. I think this is my biggest effort this year, but research has inspired me to consider continuing it as a railroad romance series in 2025. We shall see…
My writing style: It can be intense, with some white-knuckle action. But I have laugh out loud moments, as well. I don’t pull punches in the spiritual side of things. Sometimes I feel convicted by my own writing.
~Which of your characters would you most like to meet and get to know and what book are they from?
I would most like to meet Jack SuLong, from my first book “The Bathtub Full of Holes.” Mainly because he held me at arm’s length the whole time I was writing, and I didn’t get to know him very well. But he has a lot of interesting backstory, I just know it!
~What are you looking forward to in the coming months?
In the next couple months, I hope to complete the final draft on my second book, “The King Who Would Not Be.” It’s an adventure rather along the lines of “The Prisoner of Zenda.” Made up place, but real world feel.
“Look!” Ruby cried. Mr. Mikeloff swung the flashlight beam. Dark spots on the concrete. “Blood.” Ruby whistled. “And what’s that?” She bent and fished something from the gutter. A brown paper envelope. There were black marks on it. Ruby turned it over. “Here, look at this.” She showed Mr. Mikeloff the scrawling inscription: To my dear ex-brother, The sometime Prince Guy Dufort. Mr. Mikeloff clenched the envelope in his hand. “Four letters,” he murmured. “Sudden, violent seizure of governmental power, for which the perpetrators will stop at nothing … not kidnapping … not murder.” He forced out the final word: “Coup.”
I wish I could say I had a distinct writing style, does writing from the heart count as a writing style? Intercepted went through a number of drafts before I quit and was about to give up. I had fought with myself about what to do next enough and decided that authoring the story wasn’t meant to be.
Then God did what God does, He sent help. He decided He had given me a story He wanted shared with the world, and my limitations were not going to stand in the way.
Enter Nicole Hampton. A friend of my wife and a published author. Nicole, offered to read the book and offer suggestions. She was a blessing from God. Working with Nicole allowed me to look at the story from a new perspective and my writing process changed for the better.
First of all, Nicole loved the story. That was the first time I took a breath and gave myself a little grace to change the things I could and to be okay with the things I couldn’t change. Nicole was honest, brutally at times, and I needed that while chasing the heart of the story. And she held my feet to the fire when my stubbornness took over. For example, in chapter 39, the scene by the fire, I thought I was done writing it. I thought the chapter would hold up. She pushed me for more. It wasn’t until I sat outside on a cold and dark night, closed my eyes, and became Veeder McLean at that moment. I had to feel what he felt. I had to live that moment, the pain, the anger, the helplessness, the fear, the forgiveness. I had to feel it to be able to write it.
And there were other scenes where I had to go back and sit in a quiet room and envision the scenario. I remember writing the conversation between Liz and Veeder in the church courtyard, and tears were streaming down my face. That happened again when I wrote about the scene between MK and Veeder when he was on the couch in his apartment watching TV. I had to shorten that scene because the pain I felt in my heart as I envisioned MK trying to console her brother at that moment broke me. And no matter how much I tried to capture her emotions, it didn’t work. I just couldn’t write it.
And it was in the work with Nicole that I found my writing style for Intercepted, it was one of experiential realism. I had the words. I had the scene. I had the story, but those big scenes fell flat because I didn’t have the emotion. I had to feel the emotion in those scenes before I could write them. The experience of being in those moments gave a unique quality to Intercepted that I hope I can recreate in the future. It was cathartic. And words will never ever convey how grateful to Nicole I am for her mentorship, her friendship, her love for this story, and the writing process. She has become family and I will forever be grateful for her time, patience, and grace as I wrote this story. “Thank you” will never be enough for her pushing me to find the heart of this story. And I will always be grateful to God for sending her my way when I needed help.
Which of your characters would you most like to meet and get to know and what book are they from?
I would love to talk with Mary Katherine (MK), JJ, Veeder, Grandma Colleen, and Pastor Kelly.
Pastor Kelly doesn’t like Veeder, wants better for his daughter, and yet in two of the most difficult scenes involving Veeder or Anna, Pastor Kelly is a saint. First in his office when Veeder challenges Pastor Kelly about God and quite angrily, I might add. Pastor Kelly shows us the true love of Jesus in that moment. He knows the boy is hurting, but he doesn’t like him for his daughter, and yet he finds that love to help Veeder in that moment. His patience and grace in that interchange touched my heart. I pray for that kind of compassion in the face of great difficulty.
And when he is sitting on the swing with his daughter, Anna, he finds a new level of grace. She is questioning her whole relationship with Veeder, the young man he thinks is wrong for his daughter, but he doesn’t let her off easy. He shares the truth about God, love, and relationships. He challenges her to think about what she wants in her life and who she wants to do life with. Innately, he knows that her happiness, even if it’s with someone he is not thrilled about, is more important than his feelings for the young man. As my children grow up and make mistakes I don’t agree with, I pray I have a little of Pastor Kelly’s grace in my heart.
JJ is just so cool. There’s no other way to put it. I loved writing his character. His light, his talent, his faith, his love for family, and his love for God is a blessing. He is humble and kind and a tough guy all rolled into one. I would have so many questions for him that we would probably run out of time before I asked them all.
I would love to talk with Veeder because in so many respects, his life story is intertwined with mine. Parts of his story are things that have happened in my life, and so many other parts of his life are vastly different. I’d want to ask why he couldn’t fathom that God was real while growing up in the loving family he had. He had so many blessings from day one and he chose paths that didn’t make sense and his life kept getting intercepted. And in each of these crossroads, Jesus is there with His arms open wide and Veeder walks away from the love of Jesus and pursues another path. It was tough to write, it was tough to read, and I know that’s the story God gave me but if Veeder were real, I would have so many significant questions for him. And even as I list them, I am positive his answers would frustrate me. And that’s what makes him so lovable. As flawed as he is, he has a conviction, a spirit, and a belief that many people in the world don’t have. You just find yourself rooting for him even when you’re frustrated by his choices.
Grandma Colleen was always the wildcard in the story. She worked with JJ to teach Veeder the game of football against his mother’s wishes. She challenges Jill because she did not want to lie to her, and she prayed for her family constantly. Holding them close, she really is the glue in the family that makes all of the chaos in a large Irish family work. I would want to know where she got her chutzpah and moxie. She is also the one I feel was closest to Jesus. I could see the two of them sitting on her front porch just talking like two old friends. People passing by would thing she was crazy, but they would be the ones missing the reality of how much her relationship with Jesus was so familiar to her. He was never far from her side.
And Mary Katherine is just an impressive character. She loves her twin brother so much that she is willing to do whatever necessary to help him find his way in the world. Her dreams of being a doctor are never set aside, but the dream of her brother being saved by the love of Jesus is important to her. I would want to know why she doesn’t give up. I really see the definition of agape love in this relationship. No matter what happens, MK is selfless, her love for Veeder is unconditional, and even when it doesn’t make sense, she accepts him, his faults and all. She would give everything up just to lead her brother to Jesus. It is so subtly understated but the love MK has for her brother is what God intends for us all to strive for in our lives. I would want her to show me how to be like that in my own life. It is so beautiful to witness, but it is subtle. You have to look closely at their relationship, or you will miss it.
~What are you looking forward to in the coming months?
Living, learning, loving, and growing in the love of God. I am fighting a massive case of writer’s block. I have a lot of ideas that God has given me to share, I am just waiting for the ideas to flourish into a direction. In God’s timing, it will all come together. So we will find out together when the time is right.
The one question I get often is “When is the sequel to Intercepted coming out?” I wish I knew. I have had glimpses of what a sequel or second book might look like, but nothing concrete has developed yet.
And finally, in the coming months, I pray we will see peace prevail in Israel and Ukraine.
The third set of four in my line up of author interviews!! Thank you all so much. I am so excited about next week share too. Who will be the featured authors??? #sharingiscaringbookblog #authorinterviews #readabook
~Which of your characters would you most like to meet and get to know and what book are they from?
~What are you looking forward to in the coming months?
**I got so many replies I will be sharing even more posts. Woohoo!!!
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Thank you Karen Lopez
~Share or describe your writing style.
When writing novels or short stories the style is considered narrative which simply means to tell a story. And of course, that is what I do! I tell stories of love but not always strictly in what is considered romance (boy meets girl and they live happily ever after). Sometimes they are romance but other times it may be love for family or friends. And because I’m an inspirational fiction writer, I write about the source of love, our creator.
~Which of your characters would you most like to meet and get to know and what book are they from?
My books are character driven. And I do love my many characters!
Primarily you’ll find female characters discovering their strength, faith, and purpose as they navigate challenging circumstances. But there are many key characters who are male. I think as a woman I resonate with the ups and downs of life from the female perspective and it’s natural to write those points of view.
One character I’d enjoy meeting is Becky from Letters from Kansas.
Becky has spunk! She’s not afraid to kick the tires on life or the broken-down truck she’s driving. We should all have a friend like Becky.
For completely different reasons, I’d like to meet Poppy. I’d like to wrap my arms around her and tell her she’s doing great. She is from my book Poppy, and she experiences much growth throughout the story. Her story will tug at your heart strings.
~What are you looking forward to in the coming months?
2023 was a year that required much attention. Writing had to take an unplanned pause while I was occupied with other complexities. For that reason, I’m delighted to be at my keyboard again!
I’m excited to finish some of my works-in-progress. Daisy’s Secret 1s the closest to being finished as of today and will be part of the Shaw Point Collection. I also have another book in progress for the Letters from Home Series (Letters from Kansas is the first book). Both are historical fiction. And both will focus on mother/child love stories.
If there is a third book this year, I plan on it being a contemporary sweet romance. I’m excited to see where this story of a music teacher and a horse rancher will take us.
Thank you, Dawn, for sharing about my authorship. It is much appreciated. I am so grateful that God has allowed me the great joy of bringing uplifting inspirational books to the world.
If anyone wishes to know more about me or my work, they can check my website or Amazon page. I also have a reader community on Ream (a subscription service that is free to join and free to follow me there) where I share stories that are not currently available elsewhere.
My writing style is pantster. I do a very small outline of the book. I include who the victim will be, who the killer will be and the reason for the murder. After that, I pretty much just let the story unfold as I write. New characters come to me as the story progresses and character development of the main characters takes me on some surprise trips as I write.
~Which of your characters would you most like to meet and get to know and what book are they from?
I would love to meet Ms. Millie (she is also most of my readers’ favorite character). I created her from several different ladies I knew growing up in the lowcountry of South Carolina. Ms. Millie is a recurring character in my Bobwhite Mountain Cozy Mystery Series.
~What are you looking forward to in the coming months?
In the coming months, I’m looking forward to the release of Book 6 in my Bobwhite Mountain series. I’m currently writing it and I think readers are going to really like it. Then, hopefully, I will begin a new series I have in my mind. (YES…there WILL be more Bobwhite Mountain books, lol.) This series will be set in a totally different setting and will include all new characters.
I write narrative nonfiction so it’s no surprise that one reviewer mentioned that I write “ in sparse midwestern prose which only emphasizes the drama of each episode.”
~Which of your characters would you most like to meet and get to know and what book are they from?
What Leora Never Knew is about Grandma Leora’s sons who lost their lives during WWII. I wrote about them in Leora’s Dexter Stories: The Scarcity Years of the Great Depression, where readers get acquainted with them as children with distinct personalities, then again in Leora’s Letters, which is the family story during the war. I’d love to meet those three young uncles!
~What are you looking forward to in the coming months?
In the coming months, I’d like to complete a solid first draft of the next manuscript.
Love this Dawn. First, I have been told that my writing style is ‘edgy’ but not sure exactly what that means. Readers have also said that they enjoy the depth and character development in my stories. I tend to focus more on character with the plot being secondary.
~Which of your characters would you most like to meet and get to know and what book are they from?
Second, I would most like to meet Rogan and Serene. They are from my latest story, The Crumbs off Heaven’s Table. A story set in first century Damascus.
~What are you looking forward to in the coming months?
In the coming months, I am looking forward to releasing the rest of The Encounter Series – biblical fiction centered around four unnamed women in Scripture who have a single encounter with Jesus. Lots of work to make this happen.
The second set of four in my line up of author interviews!! Thank you all so much. I am so excited about next week share too. Who will be the featured authors???
Here are the questions I asked in my Facebook groups for authors to answer;
I think next week I would like to share your answers on my blog. So to those who answer consider yourself interviewed by me with the same three questions…
~Share or describe your writing style.
~Which of your characters would you most like to meet and get to know and what book are they from?
~What are you looking forward to in the coming months?
**I got so many replies I will be sharing more than one post. Woohoo!!!
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Thank you Janetta Fudge Messmer
Share or describe your writing style.
Pantser. I like to be as surprised as my readers are. I usually do a synopsis then write.
Which of your characters would you most like to meet and get to know and what book are they from?
Rosie from my Early Birds series. She wacky and fun. I’m spontaneous, but she’s off the charts.
What are you looking forward to in the coming months?
Working on Book #12. It’s been a while since I sat down and wrote anything. It feels good.
I write cozy mysteries set on Mackinac Island with a mystery, mayhem, and miracles …stories of truth. I write in first person from the main character’s viewpoint – that is new for some people. The story can only be told from what the main character – the protagonist, sees and hears. That can be a challenge along with keeping every mystery fresh. All my books can be read in order or as stand alones – another challenge for me as a writer.
What are you looking forward to in the coming months?
I’m looking forward to releasing the 5th book in March. Being Nancy (In a world lost in mystery) It will be loads of fun for Nancy Drew fans – one of my inspirations to write.
Being Ethel (In a world that loves Lucy) Being Dorothy (In a world longing for home) Being Alice (In a world lost in the looking glass) Being Wendy (In a world afraid to grow up) – free in KU – ebooks on Amazon and paperbacks everywhere ♥️https://amzn.to/3wnaEWj
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Thank you Mary L. Hamilton
Share or describe your writing style.
Hmm, I guess I’d say warm, empathetic, usually serious but with occasional humor
Which of your characters would you most like to meet and get to know and what book are they from?
I’d like to meet Taylor from Speak No Evil, the second book in my Rustic Knoll Bible Camp series. He was fun to write about.
What are you looking forward to in the coming months?
I’m looking forward to writing my next novel about a woman who is tasked with finding people who will treasure five things her late mother treasured–things which seem to hold little worth. Amazon author page: https://amzn.to/3KDNhjM Website:https://maryhamiltonbooks.com/
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Thank you Ruthie Madison
Which of your characters would you most like to meet and get to know and what book are they from?
I would love to meet Julie and Eric from my Second Chance Series. They are in three of my books.
What are you looking forward to in the coming months?
The first four in my line up of mini author interviews!! Thank you all so much. I am so excited about next week share too. Who will be the featured authors???
Sharing is Caring Book Blog 